Improved-gun and blasting powder



tion of the former. The chemical change above UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. WIESTLING, OF OXFORD FURNACE, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVED-GUN AND BLASTING POWDER.

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,070, dated September 22,1863; antedatcd December 3, 1862.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE B. WIESTLING, of Oxford Furnace, in the county of Warren and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun and Blasting Powder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention consists in the manufacture of gun and blasting powder of charcoal, ni-

trate of soda, chlorate of potassa, and sulphur in the manner hereinafter described, whereby all danger is obviated in the process, and the powder is prevented from having the deliquescent property common to gunpowder containing nitrate of soda manufactured by other processes.

Take of nitrate of soda ten (10) pounds; chlorate of potassa, four (4) pounds; roll or virgin rock sulphur, (pulverized,) two .(2) pounds. Dissolve the chlorate of potassa in eight pounds of boiling water, and in this solution dissolve the nitrate of soda, and with this compound solution saturate as much dry pulverized charcoal as possible. Then add the sulphur and mix the whole intimately.

l or blasting purposes it is sufficient merely to dry the composition, the drying to be preferably performed on canvas; but for gun purposes it should be compressed before drying and afterward granulated in the manner commonly practiced in the manufacture of gunpowder before drying.

By making the compound solution of chlorate of potassa and nitrate of soda, as above specified, an important chemical change and combination is effected, which in a measure remedies the deliquescent properties of the nitrate of soda and relieves the process of manufacturing of all danger, while the most intimate mixture of the chemicals and carbon is effected by saturating the latter in the solualluded to is as follows: The chlorate of potassa becomes the chlorate of soda, and the nitrate of soda becomes the nitrate of potassa, and of these the powder is made.

The powder for blasting can be made by this process as efficient as is customary and necessary when confined. At the same time, being only combustible when exposed or unconfined,

it is safer than usual.

Both the gun and blasting powder of this manufacture make but little smoke, and that of a light color, and its explosion is attended with no unpleasant smell. These properties render it specially adapted for mining purposes and for gunnery in confined places, such as the oaseinates of forts and the turrets of ma rine batteries.

Nitrate of potassa can be added to the solution of chlorate of potassa and nitrate of soda to make a triple compound solution, and when this ingredient is used the quantity of chlorate of potassamay be reduced in quantity to the extent of half the weight of nitrate of potassa added. As much as four (4) pounds of nitrate of potassa may be used with the quantity of nitrate of soda hereinbefore specified, and in that case two (2) pounds of chlorate of potassa are sufficient. The proportions of the several ingredients may, however, all be varied to some extent without very materially changing the character of the powder.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The manufacture of gun and blasting powder of charcoal, sulphur, nitrate of soda, and

chlorate of potassa, either with or without nitrate of potassa, by the process herein speci Witnesses:

J 0s. H. SCRANTON J. G. PLATT.

GEORGE E. rnsrnritet I 

